Missionary Message for the 11th of October, 2023
By Fr. Alfred Maravilla SDB
General Councillor for Missions
People are our greatest resources. Thus, primary importance needs to be placed in the development of our human resources. But it is a fact that there are persons who are able to generate surplus resources more than what is needed for their basic necessities. Yet, this also lays a responsibility on them to be stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to them.
Certainly, the poor are close to God’s heart. But there are materially rich people who are spiritually, emotionally, or relationally poor and are in need attention and care as much as those who are materially poor. Whether people have much or little, all have the possibility of making their resources available to God. Thus, people who don’t have great surplus of resources are still able to experience the joy and fulfillment of contributing from their simple personal, material, and spiritual resources. People willingly make their own resources available because, through stories, photos, short videos, progress monitoring, impact evaluation, accountability, and transparency, they trust that we will use these responsibly.
Our missionary activities cannot be reduced to money for these are bigger than money. Thus, it is necessary to move from ‘fundraising’ to ‘resource mobilization’. Missionary resource mobilization is the opposite of begging. It is proclaiming what we believe by offering people the opportunity to be involved with us in our amazing and existing vision and inviting them to collaborate meaningfully in a variety of ways in the work of building up God’s Kingdom that is already present in our midst. By inviting people to be involved in making a concrete gesture to alleviate poverty and proclaim the gospel - using their own time, talent, and treasure - they become part of something bigger than themselves, bringing an inspiring vision to their lives and offering them a new sense of belonging to our human family.
Resource mobilisation is as much a ministry as celebrating the sacraments, or teaching catechism. It is giving those with time, talents or other resources, a spiritual perspective. In fact, if spirituality is missing, then resource mobilization becomes a business or a mere agency for the distribution of funds for the needy. The overriding concern of resource mobilization is that by offering their resources, people come closer to God and be in a new spiritual communion with the wider human family. Indeed, when one offers one’s own resources for the creation of a community of love, lasting relationships are created, and love grows. Then, a sign of new life begins.
As a ministry, missionary resource mobilization is grounded in prayer and undertaken in gratitude. Prayer uncovers the hidden motives of those who have resources and those who seek to mobilise resources. Prayer allows one to see oneself and others as God sees us. It deepens one’s awareness of God’s goodness making the spirit of gratitude grow within the person’s heart.
Missionary resource mobilization, similarly, implies a real personal conversion, a deep shift in how one sees and thinks and acts, among those who have resources and those who seek to mobilize resources. People who have resources are led to a greater awareness that even a seemingly small act of generosity can grow into something far beyond what one could ever imagine. Inversely, those who seek to mobilize resources are challenged to better manage or use their existing resources as well as examine if their security is totally in God. Indeed, only when one is free from attachment to resources can one ask freely others to share their resources and be accountable for what is received.
In the Salesian Society, there are four Mission Offices set up by the Rector Major (in Bonn, Madrid, New Rochelle, and Turin) to mobilize resources for the support of the missionary activities of the whole Congregation. Many Provinces too have set up their own provincial mission offices (Reg 24). Indeed, priority ought to be given in mobilizing local resources.
It should be always kept in mind that missionary resource mobilization is meant ultimately not only to support the evangelizing mission of the Congregation and of the whole Church but also to foster Don Bosco’s missionary spirit. Thus, it should be assured that resources are allocated to support activities of evangelization, formation as well as to activities directed to help promote and foster missionary animation in every local educative pastoral community and in each Province.
Questions for Reflection and Sharing
1. How can our resource mobilization help people come closer to God?
2. In what way can our resource mobilization become missionary animation?
